


Far boy. Close boy.

by rebeccaerdmann



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, First Kiss, Fluff, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Pining, Post-Pennywise (IT), Sharing a Bed, Teen Angst, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-11-02 11:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20725013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebeccaerdmann/pseuds/rebeccaerdmann
Summary: Richie Tozier has finally admitted to himself that he was utterly and completely in love with his best friend. And despite thinking his love was unrequited, he was far from knowing how Eddie Kaspbrak truly felt.orRichie being a dumb homo™ and not noticing Eddie making his moves.





	Far boy. Close boy.

It was at the end of the afternoon. A cold Saturday. 14-year-old Richie Tozier was lying on the floor of Kaspbrak’s home reading some comics. By his side, his best friend Eddie was doing the same.

In a normal day, the two boys would just keep reading hours straight and successfully achieve a pleasuring time of enjoyment. However, in Autumn 1990, any situation that involved being around Eddie made Richie worry. And that was because hanging out with Eddie at that time meant noticing how soothing and deep his voice got, how his arms were getting more defined and how his brown eyes made his mind travel through the most wonderful and bright places. And for Richie, that wasn’t good. It seemed to be, but really, it wasn’t.

Even if his view seemed lovely, Richie couldn’t risk getting caught. He knew very well boys shouldn’t act like that around other boys, especially best friends. And of course, he also knew that If someone noticed the reason behind his change of behavior he would become a _fairy _and he surely wasn’t one! Besides that, if the Losers discovered about the whole situation he would _definitely_ be thrown out of the party and Eddie would hate him forever. The latter thing was what made Richie most fixated on behaving himself. No, stop seeing Eddie was out of the question.

And that way, Richie just kept dancing around with his pubescent feelings. Trying to read, but actually wanting to look at how the golden lights of the early evening gave a majestic touch to Eddie’s face… And thighs too, because his constant use of shorts always left Richie in a daze.

As the last lights of the day slowly disappeared, leaving both boys in almost complete darkness, Eddie stood up to turn on the lights, quickly returning to his place, but that time making a painful expression as soon as he laid.

“Shit! The floor is getting too cold.” Says Eddie, standing up once again. He closes the room’s window.

“Yeah. It is.”

“We should go to my bed. It’s warm up there.”

Richie panicked. Getting into that kind of intimacy with Eddie was really dangerous, and he didn’t want to start any trouble.

“You can go, I’ll stay here.” Said Richie, a little too fast.

“Why?” Eddie looked confused.

“Hum… I’m just too lazy to stand up.”

“Come on! I won’t let you here alone.”

“It’s fine! Besides, your bed is too small to fit us both.” Declared Richie. But in response, Eddie just smiled and said:

“Don’t worry Rich, I’m sure it has enough space for both of us.” Eddie gave Richie his hand “Please, can you do that for me?” Asked Eddie with the known dog eyes that made Richie agree with anything he proposed.

Terrified (but also a little excited), the boy just nodded and followed his friend to bed. They laid different ways, as Richie would not risk having his face so close to Eddie’s. Right there, they continued whatever was happening.

While reading, every time Eddie would flip a page, his hand would softly touch Richie’s calf, making his heart jump and his entire body hair shiver. After a while, the boy could only focus on control his impulses and predict when Eddie would move his hand. After some more minutes, he started analyzing how Eddie’s fingers were small and strong, and then, the boy imagined them making soft circles on his cheeks. That thought made his legs spasm. And finally, Richie was completely focused on looking at every detail of Eddie’s eyebrows.

It was a lost cause. He was hypnotized by the figure in front of him. It was crazy that even though Eddie was close to Richie, he seemed to be miles away from him. For Richie, his attraction to Eddie was just like the crushes he felt for the rock stars he saw on MTV. Far, and ridiculously impossible. 

“What are you looking at?” Asked Eddie, making Richie’s heart pound faster.

“Nothing. It’s just that you sometimes remind me of my longtime sexual lover. My darling Sonia… I miss her.” _Oof… Good save Richie! _The desperate boy thought.

“Shut up, Trashmouth.” Said Eddie, but this time, surprisingly, he wasn’t pissed. Instead, the boy just giggled and his face got pink. It was like somehow, the words Richie said meant something different for him.

The boys continue their activity, and Richie tries hard to focus on the comic in his hand. Surprisingly, it was kind of working. The issue he had on his hand got him entertained, and in some minutes of reading, Richie's breath got calmer and his mind was slowly getting away from those dangerous rivers of homosexuality.

“Rich…” The boy turns his look to Eddie. “Did you know that Ben and Bev are now dating?”

“Yes I do, my dear Eds.” That was another thing: calling someone ‘dear’ or ‘cute’ was significantly harder when you were desperately in love with them. However, Eddie didn’t seem to notice Richie’s fearful tone. Or, even more surprisingly, the pet name. Instead, he just continues.

“Do you think that will make things weird in the party?”

“No… I don’t think so; they’ve been acting like a couple for a while now. It won’t change much.”

“Yeah, they've been.” Eddie smiled, not to Richie, but to someone who wasn’t present, or even, maybe, too himself “Hey Rich…” Eddie said in a low tone this time. “Have you ever dated someone?” He asked.

Richie started sweating. It was normal to talk about dating with your best friend, but it was definitely not with your_ crush._

“No.” Said Richie, monosyllabic.

“Well, have you ever wondered how it’s like?”

“Yes. A little.” The boy says in almost a whisper. Like he was in a court, being judged for the crime of falling for his cute, asthmatic friend. But as low as it sounded, Eddie listened to everything Richie had to say. He always did.

“Yeah, me too.” Eddie looked at the ceiling, thinking “I think it will make me better.”

“How?”

“I wouldn’t be so lonely.”

“You’re never alone. You have the losers. And me.”

“Well, I know. But I just…” Eddie bit his lip, thinking about how to express in words his feelings. “Want to live forever you know?” Said Eddie, looking at his friend with trepidation.

“I do.” Richie, somehow, actually did, and it was a fantastic realization for the boy. Eddie smiled, feeling comprehended. Something that rarely happened in his life.

“I feel strange talking about that kind of stuff.”

They both are laughing now, not because it was funny. But because it was new. Both boys expected to remain in silence regarding those teenage feelings, especially since they were quite different from the ones other boys their age felt. It was a tiny rebellion, one that in a few years would show it’s true importance. In the middle of the gags, Richie once again looked at Eddie with soft eyes. His far, close boy. Gradually getting distant. There was nothing he could do. His smile disappeared, and he went back to his comic, holding his tears.

“Hey, Rich.”

“What?” Says the boy, lifting his face to his friend.

And then Eddie did the last thing Richie thought he would do. He kissed him. On the lips. And Richie got so exceedingly ecstatic that he couldn’t even close his eyes. The boy was truly in the seventh heaven. Even though Eddie’s kissing abilities were noticeably limited (just like Richie, it was his first kiss ever) for Richie, it was _perfect_, and when the mouths got separated, the boy was breathless.

“W-why?” He asked, still astonished.

“You looked sad.” Said Eddie, with a grin “Did it help?”

“Y-y-yes! Totally! Thanks, Eddie!” And then, Richie smiled like never before.

Eddie just laughs softly and goes back to reading. Richie tries to do the same, but the boy he was next to left him in such a euphoric state that suddenly the only thing he could think about was the warm and cozy sensation that Eddie’s lips made him feel when they were connected to his.

“Am I being delusional right now?”

“No, Richie. You’re not.” Eddie just gave him a sweet smile, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh… Ok…” Richie looked again at the face of his favorite boy. He wasn’t afraid anymore. Everything felt right. “Then maybe we can do it again?” Richie asked, hopeful.

Eddie just smiled and leaned closer.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)


End file.
